Related Articles
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Jefferson’s Bourbon made its name with bold experiments in aging and finishing. The brand’s highlights include Jefferson’s Ocean, which is aged at sea in varying climates, and the more recent Jefferson’s Tropics, which sees Kentucky bourbon rested in Singapore‘s extreme humidity for 18 months.
The brand’s newest release, Reserve Cask Strength, proves that Jefferson’s can still nail the classics. The eight-year-old, non-chill filtered whiskey is aged in Kentucky, without cask finishing, and comes in at a brawny 130 proof (65 percent ABV). An “homage to the brand’s roots,” the Cask Strength release nods to the original Jefferson’s Reserve, launched in 1998. Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength is a limited-edition release, but you can check stock now at Total Wine or ReserveBar (MSRP $69.99/750 mL).
Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength
Buy Now on reservebar
Buy Now on total wine
“I have the luxury of drinking cask strength all the time as I pull samples from barrels, and my taste has evolved over the last 28 years. I love to have a big drink sometimes,” Trey Zoller, who founded Jefferson’s with his dad, Chet, in 1997, tells Rolling Stone. “I pulled cask strength samples at eight years and they had this big, creamy, cherry and vanilla bomb that drank like a much lower proof than its 130. I knew I had to bottle it for everyone.”
On the nose, the Reserve Cask Strength is rich and surprisingly approachable for its high proofing. Same goes for the sip, although it still delivers the bold mouthfeel you want in a cask strength liquid. On the palette, rye-like spice, vanilla, cherry, and cola shine. It’s big and balanced with a warm, long-lasting finish.
“For years, Jefferson’s Reserve has been our flagship bourbon, celebrated for its balance and sophistication. With this cask strength release, we’re peeling back the layers to reveal the whiskey in its most authentic form — untamed, uncut, and packed with intense flavor,” says Zoller. “This is for those who crave the full experience of a high-proof bourbon that’s as big as it is drinkable.”
Head to Total Wine or ReserveBar to find a bottle of Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength.
